From Intent to Action: How Sustainability Data Is Shaping Brand Growth

Earth Day is often treated as a symbolic moment - a chance to restate commitments or reaffirm values. For marketers, it can also serve a more practical purpose: a checkpoint to assess whether sustainability is being translated into real business impact. The data suggests that this question matters more now than ever.

Across North America, environmentally friendly behaviour is already well established among younger consumers. IMI Pulse© 2025 shows that 60% of Gen Z and 65% of Millennials purchased environmentally friendly products in the past 12 months. More importantly, momentum is strong.

Over 80% of these consumers have already made such purchases and intend to do so again in the next year. This places sustainability-driven purchasing firmly in the category of sustained, forward-looking behaviour rather than short-term experimentation.

In Canada specifically, sustainability also shows clear signs of strengthening public support. Today, 50% of Canadians support the view that government is committed to reducing carbon emissions. Looking ahead, that support rises to 64% over the next 12 months - placing it in the top decile for forward momentum. From a marketing perspective, this matters because it signals alignment between consumer expectations and broader policy direction, creating a more stable environment for brands to invest in sustainable positioning and innovation.

Beyond Purchasing: Sustainability as Participation and Advocacy

The data also shows that sustainability engagement extends beyond purchasing alone. One-third of Canadian Gen Z and Millennials (32%) donate to support sustainable efforts, while 38% say they want to raise awareness about the climate change emergency. These figures highlight an important dynamic: Sustainability shows up not only as a transaction, but as participation and advocacy. Brands operating in this space are engaging with consumers who are motivated to act, contribute, and signal values - not simply buy.

This global context is relevant for Canadian and global marketers alike and indicates “the time for change is NOW”. While the United States has stepped back from environmental initiatives under the current regime, Canada faces a different set of conditions: Strong consumer interest, the need for industrial development and jobs locally, and access to emerging clean technologies (and critical minerals) that are increasingly available to global markets. Together, these factors create a window for Canada to play a more active role in clean technology, critical resources, and sustainable policy leadership - areas that will shape economic growth as much as environmental outcomes.

Closing the “Say–Do Gap” in Sustainability Marketing

For marketers, the implication is not that sustainability should be louder, but that it should be clearer and more connected to value. IMI’s work consistently highlights a “see–say gap” in sustainability: Consumers say sustainability matters, but they are quick to notice when brand actions do not match messaging. This is illustrated by the fewer proportion of Canadians who donate for environmental causes, than the stats provided above - its only about a third of young Canadians.

For marketers, closing that gap to drive purchase requires discipline. It means grounding sustainability claims in areas where a brand can demonstrate real contribution and real benefits, whether through product design and innovation, sourcing decisions, partnerships, or measurable outcomes.

From Intention to Execution: Turning Sustainability Into Growth

Earth Day offers an opportunity to take stock of this alignment. Sustainability is not a standalone campaign, it is a strategic input into brand preference, loyalty, and long-term resilience. The data shows that consumer momentum is already there. The question for marketers is how effectively that momentum is being translated into growth.

At IMI, we view Earth Day as a moment to shift from intention to execution. Sustainability is no longer a stance, it’s a strategy. The question isn’t whether consumers care - it’s whether your brand can convert momentum into growth with claims you can defend and outcomes you can measure.

Contact us to start the conversation and build the proof system into a customer-relevant growth plan and point of difference. And enjoy your Earth Day!